


From Then To Now

by grahamhannah53



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Empath!Iruka, KakaIru Mini Bang 2020, M/M, Rimming, bloodsucking, just go with it, magic is also a thing?, possessive vampire instinct, vampire thrall!Iruka, vampire!Kakashi, werefox naruto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:14:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24609754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grahamhannah53/pseuds/grahamhannah53
Summary: Well, they're a bit of an odd couple— Kakashi is an immortal vampire, and Iruka is an empath with the lifespan of a regular human. To be sure, they're an unlikely pair, but they make it work. In fact, they make it work so well that they form a bond that is unbreakable. Death itself dares not touch what they have…But when a man named Danzou tries, Kakashi does not take it well.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 25
Kudos: 98
Collections: KakaIru Mini Bang 2020





	1. More Than Meets The Eye

Kakashi felt ill at ease leaving Iruka at home the next day. It may have just been his overactive territorial instinct, but even the thought of leaving Iruka and Naruto without any protection was enough to make his teeth itch. Of course, Iruka picked up on it, communicating his understanding and encouragement through little touches here and there, but Kakashi only grew more restless. 

"Kakashi, my dearest love," Iruka purred to him in passing as they fixed Naruto breakfast, "If you don't settle down here in a minute, I'll give you something to worry  _ about. _ "

Kakashi swallowed thickly and allowed Iruka to pull him into an embrace, but it did little to assuage the gnawing of paranoia in his gut. Even the little kisses Iruka stole between pancake flips were only momentary relief— needless to say, by the time Tenzou arrived at their front door, Kakashi was a complete wreck. 

"Well, senpai, Iruka-san," Tenzou greeted them at the door with Sai in tow. "It's time."

Torn between instinct and duty, Kakashi turned to Iruka and cupped his cheek. "Be vigilant," he told Iruka, struggling to speak past the lump in his throat. "Don't answer the door even for  _ God himself,  _ at least until I get back."

Iruka quirked a brow, his dark eyes shining with mischief. "Afraid I'll tase another friendly?"

Kakashi frowned. "You know what I mean."

"I do." Iruka kissed him, long and deep, before pulling away and turning to Tenzou, who was turning all sorts of funny colors at their display of intimacy. "Yamato, I don't think I need to tell you that if you get my vampire killed, I'm morally obligated to stake you through the heart, hm?"

"N-no, Iruka-san," Tenzou stammered. "I understand."

Kakashi huffed a laugh.  _ Damn  _ he loved that man.

"Come on, Tenzou, let's get going," Kakashi smirked, giving Iruka one last peck on the cheek. "I think the kids are in good hands."

Kakashi only prayed that  _ Iruka  _ was also in good hands. 

"So, senpai," Tenzou began as they walked, glancing sideways at Kakashi. "Will your beau really try to stake me if you get hurt during all this?"

Kakashi examined his kouhai for a moment before answering with a sly smile. "Why, scared?"

"Hardly. He seems reasonable enough."

Another moment or two passed by in silence before Kakashi replied. 

"Well, he wouldn't stake you, really," Kakashi admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Cold-blooded murder isn't his style. He's an empath that survived a death camp— staking you wouldn't be nearly enough for him."

Kakashi didn't have to look to know that Tenzou had paled. 

"First, he'd observe you, find out what makes you tick. Then you would begin to notice subtle changes— like everything in your home having been moved two inches to the left, your shampoo having been replaced with Nair, those kinds of things— and then eventually you would find yourself bald and shitting in your pants in the middle of a grocery store because you somehow managed to ingest enough laxative to kill a normal person, and you don't know how it happened because all you eat is  _ blood,  _ and maybe the occasional waffle. You would suffer that way for the rest of your life, always looking over your shoulder."

Tenzou swallowed. "Are you speaking from experience?"

Kakashi grinned. "Don't you wish I would tell you?"

  
  


***

  
  


Iruka might have spent his morning comforting Kakashi, but about an hour after Kakashi left, Iruka couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. 

Sai was ill at ease too, always checking out the window, over his shoulder, around corners and over the furniture— of course, that very well could have been his natural reaction to staying in a new place, but Iruka wasn't entirely convinced that was the case since Sai was feeling a gnawing guilt deep in his belly. Something was afoot, even if none of them knew exactly what, and Iruka wondered if he should have placated Kakashi's instincts and called off the investigation for the day. 

"I smell something funny," Naruto said, looking up at Iruka from the TV which all three of them were steadily ignoring. "Like, new person funny."

"Me too," Sai admitted quietly. "I can't tell how close they are, but they must be right outside for even a fledgling like me to be able to pick it up."

Iruka chewed on his lip in thought, wondering what he should do. On one hand, it could be something entirely benign, like a faerie drifting by to take a look at Iruka's flower gardens or a girl scout working up the nerve to knock on their door— on the other hand… it could be any number of sinister things. Like demons. Or insurance salesmen. 

"Iruka-san," Sai addressed him, with eyes as cold and black as midnight. "I think I recognize the scent now. I'm fairly new at this whole recognition-via-nostril thing, but my gut tells me that whoever that is works for— for— "

Sair frowned, frustrated, but Iruka caught his meaning anyways. 

"Danzou," Iruka finished, and Sai nodded. 

"It isn't entirely impossible that the—  _ thing _ ," he paused, pointing at the seal on his tongue. "Doesn't also serve as a tracking device."

_ Oh bloody fucking hell, isn't that just peachy. _

Iruka bit back his angry retort, recognizing that resentment wouldn't fix any of their problems— finger pointing wouldn't do any good. There wasn't time to fuss about should-haves and could-haves, especially if Sai was right about the person outside. After all, Kakashi had designed this house with a thousand different safety precautions— surely, if he thought hard enough, Iruka could figure a way out of the pickle they'd gotten themselves into.

"Naruto, listen carefully. I need you to take the door we have hidden in the basement and escape through the exit tunnels. Use the longest one, and go in your fox form so you're less noticeable."

Naruto's big blue eyes went watery as uncertainty flooded his heart, but he nodded bravely, and Iruka had never been more proud. 

"Then I want you to find Kakashi just as fast as you can, and tell him that Sai's curse mark might also be a tracking device. I'm going to stay here with Sai and wait it out." Iruka paused, ruffling Naruto's hair. "In case something happens, I want you to know that I love you, and tell Kakashi that I'm sorry."

"O-okay," Naruto replied, his expression bleak. "I love you too, 'Ruka."

Despite the clenching in his chest, Iruka slapped on a brilliant smile. "That's my Naruto. Go now, and bar the floor panel behind you."

As soon as Naruto was gone, a wave of overwhelming guilt crashed over Sai like a tidal wave, startling Iruka, who had come to expect Sai to feel nothing.

"I should have foreseen this coming," he told Iruka, eyes fixated on the floor. "I didn't know for sure that they would come hunting me, but…"

"There's nothing you could have done," Iruka consoled him, offering Sai a hand up from where he sat on the floor. "But there  _ is _ something you can do now."

Sai cocked his head to the side, confusion bleeding through his guilt. 

"What's that?"

Iruka smirked, tossing to Sai the baseball bat that Kakashi kept under the couch. 

"You help me fight. That bastard comes in here, he's gonna find himself in a hell of a mess if I can help it." 

Sai blinked, then smiled, the familiar warmth of camaraderie buzzing about him. 

"Of course, Iruka-san. I'm well-acquainted with inflicting blunt force trauma." 

"Good," Iruka replied under his breath. "Something tells me we're going to need all the advantages we can get."

  
  


***

  
  


When Naruto reached Kakashi, the poor little werefox was inconsolable. It took thirty minutes and a box of Kleenex for the kid to breathe properly, and another five for Kakashi to even understand his blubbering. 

"So, let me get this straight," Kakashi said gently, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "There was a stranger outside the house that Sai says works for Danzou—"

"Uh-huh," Naruto sniffled, on the verge of tears again.

"And Iruka says what now?"

"That's he's sorry," Naruto wailed, clutching onto Kakashi. 

Kakashi felt sick.

"Senpai, we have to go to them." Tenzou's expression was grim, but his words were rational and competent. "They may still be at the house, but if not, I'm certain you know Iruka-san's scent by heart, and we could track them down to Danzou's lair—"

"No."

Tenzou blinked, startled. "What do you mean,  _ no _ ?"

"Running straight to them is probably exactly what Danzou would want us to do," Kakashi clarified, ruffling Naruto's hair. "There's even a chance that this person has a vendetta against Sai or maybe even Iruka or myself, since we make a habit of putting our nose where it doesn't belong. We have to approach this with caution, or else we run the risk of getting us all killed."

Talking calmly and being calm, however, were two different things. Kakashi's head ached as plans and strategies tangled and untangled themselves in his mind, but above it all was the pressing need to run to Iruka regardless of the risk. He  _ knew  _ that he shouldn't have left Iruka alone, his instincts were practically  _ screaming  _ at him to stay, but like a negligent fool, he'd walked right out the door without a second thought. 

He'd left Iruka. At that very moment, his most precious person could be fighting, bleeding,  _ dying…  _ all because Kakashi had been too damn stupid to stay home. 

"Okay, so we have to come up with a plan for approaching the house— hey, Kakashi-senpai, wait!"

Tenzou's exclamation fell on deaf ears. For all Kakashi's talk, he couldn't stop himself from running home any more than he could have stopped the sun from rising. Knowingly throwing himself into a furnace full of unknown dangers, Kakashi ran and ran until he found himself outside his home, assessing the situation with the enchanted eye that had been given to him by a dying friend.

No life forms inside, no trace of enchantments, spells, or seals.

Kakashi threw open the front door to find the house in an utter wreck. The door, for starters, was hanging on by the top hinge alone. The television was destroyed, there was a disturbing amount of blood on the floor that was bothering Kakashi's nose, and there was broken glass from where someone had smashed a vase (no doubt over a third party's head). It was quite the scene— Kakashi could picture the struggle in his head perfectly, having memorized Iruka's exact attack pattern long ago.

Despite the situation, Kakashi found himself smiling. Leave it to his 'Ruka to raise hell like he was born to it. 

"What happened here?"

Naruto was standing in the doorway just in front of Tenzou, who had evidently followed right behind Kakashi, carrying Naruto as he ran, if the red tinge of exertion staining his cheeks was any indication. Tenzou, natural caretaker that he was, placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder even as he shared a glance with Kakashi. 

"Let's go for a stroll, Naruto," said the slightly younger vampire, tugging at Naruto's sleeve. "Senpai will be able to explain it all to you in time."

Eternally grateful for Tenzou's foresight, Kakashi directed what was possibly the most fake smile of his life towards Naruto. "Go with him, Naruto, I'll explain everything later."

Ordinarily, Naruto would have put up a fuss, but fear must have been eating at him, because the little werefox went quietly with Tenzou, even if he looked a little dejected at being excluded. 

Intent on not wasting the precious time Tenzou's distraction had given him, Kakashi began to carefully sniff about the place, sorting the scents in his head neatly into  _ Iruka _ ,  _ Naruto _ ,  _ Sai _ , and  _ Not Iruka Or Sai Or Naruto.  _ From there, it became clear that there were three  _ Not Iruka Or Sai Or Naruto  _ smells in the house, and that one of those was much stronger than the other two. There was only one reason Kakashi could think of for that, and a short trip down the hallway confirmed Kakashi's conjecture. Parallel to the walls of the hallway, Iruka's straight razor lay open and bloody next to the stranger's slit throat, the wound still fairly fresh and full of blood that smelled quite unnaturally like cat piss to Kakashi.

Hands on his hips, Kakashi analyzed the scene, wracking his brain to tie all the details together. Certainly, if there was only one body and this many signs of a struggle, that most assuredly meant that Iruka and Sai had been overwhelmed… but if the captors hadn't also brought back the body of their comrade… 

Iruka and Sai had to have given them enough of a fight to make carrying along a (literal) deadweight too risky.

By the time Tenzou and Naruto returned, Kakashi had made use of his supernatural speed and strength to clean all the shattered glass and throw the broken TV out the window. He'd also started a fire in the yard onto which he'd thrown the body of the dead assailant— it wasn't the most fragrant of solutions, but it was better than leaving it in plain view to traumatize Naruto. 

"Senpai," Tenzou called in greeting, carrying a sleeping Naruto. "What have you found?"

"A hell of a lot," Kakashi sighed before relaying the details to his kouhai. 

"Well, that's at least something," Tenzou shrugged as Naruto shifted in his sleep. "We need to get this place cleaned up— it stinks to high hell. Do you have somewhere Naruto can stay?"

"Oh yeah," Kakashi replied, cringing internally at his own choice of babysitter. "Give him here. I'll be gone a while, so if you don't mind, the bleach is in the cabinet under the sink."

Tenzou grumbled something about being left behind to do all the work, but Kakashi didn't so much as blink— if Kakashi told his kouhai where he was going, the ungrateful little shit would be  _ relieved  _ that he'd been asked to stay and clean. 

  
  
  


***

  
  


"BELOVED RIVAL, HOW WONDERFUL OF YOU TO STOP BY!"

Kakashi flinched at the volume of his best friend's voice, but stepped inside as Maito Gai gestured for Kakashi and Naruto to enter. 

"So, what brings you here?" Gai asked, smiling knowingly. "If that long, sad face you're making is any indication, you're here for business, not pleasure."

Kakashi nodded. "I need you to watch Naruto for a day or two."

"Of course! It would be an honor to stand guard over your precious youth," Gai replied, ruffling Naruto's hair. "Might I ask why?"

"Iruka… isn't here."

Gail's ridiculously large eyebrows elevated. "Oh?"

"Yeah."

Kakashi didn't need to add anything— Gai would figure the rest.

"I see… and are you planning on working alone to retrieve him?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Tenzou is here. He's actually been involved in the whole mess from the start."

Gai nodded, understanding. "Then I'll watch over Naruto until you have him back."

"Thank you," Kakashi replied, truly grateful. He turned to leave, but Gai reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

"Don't look so discouraged, my rival," Gai told him gently as Naruto surfed through the channels on the giant T.V. in the next room like he owned it. "There is more to your Iruka-sensei than meets the eye."

Kakashi was able to muster a small smile at that, recalling the mess that had been their house an hour or so earlier. No ordinary school teacher could have managed  _ that,  _ Kakashi was certain. 

"Yeah. Thanks, Gai."

"You're welcome. Get a good punch in for me, will you?"

"Of course."

A few moments later, Kakashi walked out of Gai's house with the full assurance that Naruto would be well taken care of— an assurance that allowed Kakashi to succumb to the bitter rage that had been gnawing at him since he'd found his home ransacked and his lover taken. His fangs enlarged, responding to his wrath, and Kakashi stalked back towards the house with renewed strength. All he needed was a night to think and half a chance at finding Iruka's scent trail, and the bad guys were as good as got.

And once Iruka was safe and sound, Kakashi couldn't promise that he wouldn't tear apart every single perpetrator, every accomplice that had been involved in kidnapping Iruka just for the hell of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops


	2. More Than Meets The Eye

"UZUMAKI NARUTO, IF I FIND ONE MORE TACK IN A CHAIR OF MY HOUSE, SO HELP ME GOD, I WILL SKIN YOU ALIVE AND USE YOUR PELT FOR A WELCOME MAT!"

"Aw, but 'Ruka-nii, that was supposed to be for— "

"No! Excuses!"

Kakashi sighed. He didn't see how Iruka had so much energy. They were so fucking old. Sure, in terms of immortals, they were still pretty young, but Kakashi was beginning to realize that he was becoming a grumpy old man in a relatively young man's body.

(After all, he'd reached the milestone of yelling at the kids to stay off of his lawn. Which, they had been his own little warlock trainees, and they had almost  _ burnt  _ the lawn using fire spells, but using the line had to count for something.)

Iruka, however, hadn't aged a day in either body or spirit, as evidenced in the way he dragged Naruto (an orphaned werefox that they'd taken in to raise) bodily across the house and sat him down in a chair to endure a lecture about the consequences of physically harmful pranks. 

With his thoughts as an undercurrent to Iruka’s tirade, Kakashi wondered at the peculiarity of Iruka’s immortality. At first, way back in the 40’s, neither of them had even known what a thrall was, or how they were made, but when Iruka turned forty-three and didn’t look a day past twenty, they began to do some research. According to the texts kept by Kakashi’s coven, vampires could choose special humans to feed on and keep them alive indefinitely in order to have a steady food supply… and, once created— by an often-coerced verbal contract made under duress— the thrall would then be completely submissive to the vampire’s will, unable to think or do anything for themselves until they wasted away into madness. They would obey their master’s every demand, even sensing and acting upon their subconscious will— it was slavery in its most concentrated form. 

Needless to say, Iruka didn’t fit that description at all, and Kakashi had been being rather melancholic and dramatic at the time they assumed the verbal contract took place. In fact, Iruka had found the whole thing rather sweet, even if they had been talking about death.

_ “To part with you is more than I can bear,”  _ Kakashi had told him that night, placing a kiss over the tender skin of Iruka’s wrist.  _ “Every time you go out there, even for the small infiltration missions, it drives me wild with worry.” _

Iruka had laughed at him, so handsome and cheerful even in the middle of a bloody war that it made Kakashi’s heart ache.  _ “I’ll have to die sometime, Kakashi, but I’ll cut you a deal. As long as I live and breathe, I’ll stay by your side.” _

And even as Iruka’s voice made Kakashi’s head pound, just thinking about those words caused thick, rich pleasure to curl low in Kakashi’s belly that he wasn’t sure whether he should feel guilty for or not. 

"And don't you know that once you've hurt someone, you can't take it back? You can't go around hurting people willy-nilly, it isn't right!"

It took real effort for Kakashi to pull himself out of his reverie, but he figured Naruto needed a rescue from his verbal beating. Just before Kakashi intervened, the doorbell rang and Iruka stopped his onslaught to answer it. 

Pitifully sullen, Naruto padded into the kitchen where Kakashi was sitting, and Kakashi couldn’t help but rub the kid’s head commiseratingly. Kakashi had been the victim of many of Iruka’s ‘tough love’ lectures himself— “Kakashi, you can’t just tell a guy that you were a Nazi as an intimidation factor just because he was flirting with me!” this, “Darling, you  _ cannot  _ wash my red shirt with white underwear!” that— no fun, no fun at all, especially considering that disappointing Iruka in any way was punishment enough on its own. If Naruto was anything like Kakashi, he’d beat himself up about it for the rest of the day until Iruka felt gracious enough to reward him with a tiny word of encouragement or treat him to ramen and dango.

In fact, Kakashi was about to say something to comfort Naruto when he heard the tell-tale buzz of the taser Iruka kept by the door, and he abruptly found himself positioned between Iruka and the threat with— oh, a teaspoon, he’d thought he’d grabbed a knife— in hand. So quickly and reflexively had Kakashi reacted that he barely registered that the victim of Iruka’s taser was lying prostrate on the ground, and the edge of his metal spoon was on its way to scooping out a very familiar set of almond-shaped eyes. 

A split second later, recognition smacked Kakashi dead in the face.

“Tenzou!” he exclaimed, lowering his spoon in shock.

Tenzou, the owner of the eyes in question, gasped almost comically. “Senpai!”

Iruka, bemused, peeked over Kakashi’s shoulder. “Uh, excuse me, did I just tase a friendly?”

“Yes,” Kakashi answered, then thought for a moment. “Well, no. I don’t know. Tenzou, why the hell can’t I smell you, and who’s the kid?”

Tenzou shook his head, shaggy brown hair falling into his eyes. “Ah, well, it’s a long story. I’ll be able to apologize better once you understand the situation. May we come in and explain ourselves?”

Kakashi nodded. He trusted Tenzou implicitly— the man was one of Kakashi’s best friends. They’d served in Germany together before Kakashi was assigned to the concentration camp— they had bonded over their mutual hatred of a man named Orochimaru (who had been a real pain in the ass, possessed by greed and avarice) and had been fast friends ever since. The story of how they ended up at the same place at the same time was a pretty long one, seeing as how Tenzou had "oops"-ed and "pardon me"-ed all the way to Germany from Japan, but they’d saved each other’s lives too many times to count. In fact, barring Iruka and Gai, Kakashi would venture to say that Tenzou was probably his favorite creature on the planet.

“I’m sure there’s a reason for all this,” Kakashi replied easily as Iruka moved to open the door wider. “Besides, how can I be anything but glad that you’ve happened upon us? Happy accidents, happy accidents. I’ll put on some tea and we’ll hash this out.”

  
  


*** 

  
  


Iruka wasn’t exactly sure how Kakashi and Tenzou knew each other, but he was absolutely  _ certain  _ that they’d slept together before. As an empath, he could feel it as they recalled the bubbling sensation of their intimate acquaintance, and it was, admittedly, a little irksome.

Of course, he wasn’t  _ jealous _ , that would be absurd— especially since Kakashi, having sat everyone around the table, had pulled Iruka down to sit on one of his legs as Tenzou talked, running a hand up Iruka’s thigh in an absent gesture of possessive affection. No, Iruka thought as he shivered from Kakashi’s thumb brushing over a particularly sensitive part of his thigh, not jealous… just curious. And concerned. Why hadn’t Kakashi ever mentioned a Tenzou? He’d told Iruka all the other stories of his past— goofy Obito, cheerful Rin, beloved Minato-sensei, and his father— but nothing about this “Tenzou” character had ever come up.

Embarrassingly enough, Tenzou seemed to notice Iruka’s discomfort, because he met Iruka’s gaze with kindness in his eyes and amusement in his heart before turning to Kakashi with a small smile.

“Senpai, I think you’re forgetting your manners,” he said, glancing to Iruka and back. “I believe you have some introductions to make.”

Genuinely startled, Kakashi chuckled, then scratched the back of his head— a nervous habit that Iruka would have picked up on even  _ without  _ the whole empathy thing. “Ah, Tenzou, you’re right, I apologize. This is Umino Iruka, my… well, my better half. Iruka, darling, meet my kohai, Tenzou.”

Tenzou shook his head with a laugh. “You know I’m not supposed to use that name anymore, senpai, it’s Yamato now. But Iruka, you may call me whatever you like— there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ve earned the right to do whatever you want. Keeping that one in line is a full-time occupation, and I don’t envy your position in the least.” 

Ordinarily, Iruka would be a little puzzled as to how to react to that, but there was no malice in Tenzou— er, Yamato— only playfulness and amiability, so he smiled and turned to ruffle his lover’s silver hair as he replied.

“He’s certainly a handful, but one I enjoy handling,” Iruka laughed, and Kakashi sighed dramatically.

“I get no respect anymore,” he griped, nipping playfully at Iruka’s shoulder. “First my kouhai ribs me, now my lover agrees with him— I give up trying to please you people.”

“It’s cute how you think I respected you before,” Iruka teased, and Yamato laughed as Kakashi proceeded to pout.

“So, Tenzou,” Kakashi ventured, drumming his fingers on Iruka’s thigh. “Who’s the kid?”

The kid in question was sitting silently at Yamato’s side, staring across the room at Naruto, who had hopped up onto the kitchen counter to snack on an apple. He was the unfortunate fellow that Iruka had tased not so much earlier that day, but he didn’t seem to feel hard at Iruka about it… or feel  _ anything _ , for that matter. It was strange, to be sure, but Iruka wouldn’t be surprised if there was something blocking him from reading the kid’s emotions. After all, no one really felt  _ nothing _ , and though Iruka had mustered up his best apologies, he doubted anyone would be peachy after getting assaulted in such a manner.

“This is Sai, former member of a secret organization called Root,” Yamato replied, his expression eerily stoic. “That’s actually why we’re here. Someone— a vampire— has been making thralls and training them as his own personal operatives, who have neither emotions nor free will. Sai here has told me all he can, but there’s a curse on his tongue that forbids him from speaking of it… and I think that by now, this phenomenon, if not the method, seems rather familiar to you. I know it seems so to me.”

A wave of nausea overtook Iruka as he felt something black and ugly roar to life in Kakashi, a deep hatred roiling in his gut as strong and fierce as anything Iruka had ever felt him feel. The shock of the emotion set Iruka a little off-kilter, and he physically grabbed onto Kakashi for support.

“Easy, ‘Ruka,” Kakashi murmured, pulling Iruka closer as he felt a pang of regret. Still upset, Kakashi turned to Yamato with eyes blazing. “It sounds like Danzou.” He spat the name with such animosity that Iruka imagined the very taste of it was acrid.

Yamato nodded. “That’s what I thought, but Sai can’t confirm anything. You’ll have to forgive us, but when we heard a vampire had moved to town recently with two humans, it triggered alarm bells with us, so we agreed to act. Which, obviously, you aren’t Danzou, the kid is a werefox, and I don’t see any thralls hanging about, so it didn’t amount to much… but that was the best lead we had.”

Embarrassment burned through Kakashi like a hot poker, and he scratched his head nervously again. “Actually,” he admitted sheepishly, peering up at Iruka. “You do see one thrall here.”

At that, Sai’s eyes widened, and he turned to Yamato with confusion written on his features. “But Yamato-taichou, Kakashi-san smells like a vampire, and Iruka-san acts  _ nothing  _ like a thrall, that can’t be!”

Iruka felt himself flush, and Yamato studied him intently. Kakashi’s hand tightened on Iruka’s thigh, and Iruka took a steadying breath. These people were Kakashi’s friends, and that meant that they weren’t supposed to be a threat, but somehow, the atmosphere of the room had thickened with tension, and Iruka found himself a little afraid. 

“Something tells me there’s something more to this than simple thralldom,” Yamato said to Sai, who was looking rather distraught despite not emitting  _ any  _ emotion at all from what Iruka could tell. “I would, however, like the full story.”

And so Kakashi explained it— the accidental verbal contract, the longevity, and even the few times where Kakashi had accidentally issued a Command (one that Iruka’s will couldn’t repress, one that his body obeyed without thought, without any form of resistance), usually saving Iruka’s life from whatever danger they were facing in the process. Sparing no detail, Kakashi intimated how terrified they both had been after discovering that Kakashi could Command Iruka, and how Kakashi had even tried to leave (like an idiot) in order to protect Iruka. Yamato listened intently, and when all was said and done, he leaned back in his chair and sighed, his troubled heart weighing him down like a basket of bricks around his neck.

“Certainly not a typical vampire-thrall relationship, but perhaps what they were meant to be all along,” he said, glancing at Sai. “I had never come across a thrall before Sai, and when I found him, he was…”

Uncomfortable silence hung in the air for a moment, then Sai spoke up, a frighteningly false smile distorting his features. 

“Hollow,” he supplied pleasantly. “Dead, even.”

Yamato nodded, affirming the boy’s words. “I couldn’t help it, Kakashi. I Changed him— no one should have to live like that, like I did for so long.”

There was heartbreak in those words, and Iruka felt Yamato’s hurt as deeply as though it were his own. Obviously, there was some history there, but what history it was, Iruka didn’t know and didn’t care— all he knew is that he wanted to help these people, and badly.

“I know, Tenzou, I know,” Kakashi consoled him, reaching his free hand across the table to grab one of Yamato’s. “You did the right thing.”

Yamato nodded, but remained sullen. “Senpai, I hate to ask this of you, but we’re struggling with this, and you’re the best of the best. Will you help us with the investigation? My entire coven is looking into it, but none of us can find anything. I want to help these people, and if anyone can find anything, it would be you.”

“Mah, Tenzou, I don’t know,” Kakshi replied, feeling unsure and a little guilty as he looked up at Iruka, no doubt thinking of all the many reasons that getting a coven involved in their business was a bad idea, but Iruka smacked him on the back of the head.

“Yes you do,” Iruka chided gently. “You’re going to help these nice people. Find the bad guys, snap necks as necessary, lather, rinse, repeat.”

Love radiated from Kakashi at that, and he smiled beneath his mask. “Yes dear, whatever you say.”

Yamato laughed. “You know, Kakashi, I think you had better hang onto this one.”

“I intend to. After all, he  _ is  _ my bread and butter, what with his teaching career and all,” Kakashi joked with a wink. “You should see him play a naughty sensei.”

Iruka, scandalized, smacked his lover again, a little harder than last time. “I’m completely professional, you pervert, and I am  _ literally  _ your bread and butter, so if you want to eat tonight, you’d best behave.”

“Mah, alright, alright, fine.”

They all talked for about an hour longer while Naruto pulled Sai off to play video games, but eventually, Yamato took his leave, making Kakashi  _ promise  _ not to be late on the morrow when they were to meet up and talk business about the investigation. Iruka agreed to watch over Naruto and Sai while they were gone— which was a little odd, considering the fact that Sai was completely capable of working on the mission himself, and indeed had been, but Yamato wasn’t comfortable with the idea of putting him back within Danzou’s reach— and they all bid each other farewell. 

“Those sure are some funny people,” Naruto commented as Iruka made them instant ramen, Naruto’s favorite evening meal. “‘Specially that Sai character.”

“It’s true that Sai is very different from you,” Iruka agreed, sliding Naruto his cup of ramen, “but he has also been through a lot too. Experiences change people— he may seem strange to you, but he became the way he is in order to survive.”

Naruto chewed thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

Not long after Naruto had finished his ramen, Iruka rushed him off to the shower and into bed, tucking him in with the promise of pancakes for breakfast. As Iruka closed the door to Naruto’s room, he felt a familiar presence at his back, and he turned to find Kakashi behind him, filling the air with the slightest gnawings of lust and something darker, more sinister.

Hunger.

Iruka shivered, and Kakashi placed a hand on his cheek. 

“Come to bed, Iruka,” he said, and it wasn’t a request. 

Obediently, Iruka followed, allowing Kakshi to lead him by the hand to the master bedroom. Against his will, he felt his hands begin to tremble, but not from fear. No, instead it was anticipation, excitement that shook him so— the thickness of Kakashi’s feelings, their depth, their fervor promised truly fantastic sensations to come, and Iruka was ready to become undone once more beneath the man he’d fallen in love with at first sight all those years ago. As they crossed the threshold of the bedroom, those emotions nearly coalesced into something tangible, and when Kakashi murmured sweet nothings in Iruka’s ear, all rational thought ceased.

_ Yes,  _ he thought, his hands fisting in Kakashi’s hair.  _ This is exactly where I belong. _

  
  


***

  
  


Kakashi loved Iruka more than life itself. 

Iruka sat on the bed, staring down at Kakashi with such warmth and affection in his eyes that Kakashi could hardly believe any of this was real. Sweetly, gently, Iruka offered up his wrist, and Kakashi, on his knees as though in worship, gratefully accepted. His fangs sank through tender flesh and gave way to warm vitality— Iruka’s lifeblood, which tasted of spiced wine and pure intentions. It was heady and intoxicating, and Kakashi groaned at the obscene fire that burned low in his belly. 

“You’re so lovely,” Iruka murmured, running a hand though Kakashi’s hair. “So striking— I’ve never seen anything so incredible.”

In the old days, Kakashi would have felt self-loathing so intense that he would have pulled away only half-full and sobbed, cursing his nature. Now, though, he only distantly felt pangs of guilt, heavily filtered by love, lust, and pleasure as he basked in Iruka’s sunshine. Blood trickled down his chin as he took his fill, giving in to the avaricious nature of his being just enough to satisfy himself before pulling away, half drunk on the high of Fullness. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, sincerely grateful. “Thank you, my love.”

“Are you Full?” his perfect Iruka asked, cupping his cheek. “You know you need to be before you go out looking for trouble tomorrow.”

Kakashi couldn’t help himself. He smiled, though it was likely gorey and gross, and kissed the hand that held his cheek. “My cup runneth over— I want for nothing.”

“Good. Now come ravish me.”

And ravish Kakashi did. 

He started, as usual, with his tongue on Iruka’s wounds, healing them with his saliva as best he could before pressing kisses up the length of his lover’s arm, up to his chest, then to his neck, all tenderness and want. Iruka whined as Kakashi pushed him backwards on the mattress, pressing their hips together— Kakashi took advantage of that gorgeous noise and kissed him softly, then more insistently, tasting and teasing Iruka with everything he had. 

“Fuck me, Kakashi,” Iruka demanded hoarsely, and Kakashi was more than willing to comply. 

Soon after their troublesome clothes had been removed, lube was fetched from the nightstand, and Kakashi’s fingers were slicked with it as he took Iruka’s cock into his mouth, thankful that his fangs had receded enough for a blowjob. As he worked a finger into Iruka, then two, Iruka’s wandering hands found their way into Kakashi’s hair, pulling it deliciously and then holding his head still as Iruka’s hips rebelliously thrust upwards into Kakashi’s mouth. By the time Iruka was ready, Kakashi’s jaw was ready to lock up, his scalp was sore, and he was so hard that he couldn’t even think. 

“That’s it,” Iruka keened as Kakashi pushed the head of his cock through the tight ring of muscle that never failed to take his breath away. “Fuck yes, Kakashi, fuck me hard.”

“Of course, my 'Ruka,” Kakashi replied devilishly, thrusting home with a violent snap of his hips. “Anything you ask.”

Kakashi kept the pace agonizing slow, yet hard and deep, until Iruka cried out, begging for more— then, no holds barred, Kakashi flipped him over with supernatural speed and strength, raising Iruka to his knees and fucking him from behind, fiercely stroking him in time with their love-making.

_ Yes,  _ Kakashi thought as he thrust deeply into his partner, his lover, his thrall.  _ This is exactly where I'm supposed to be— right here, pleasing Iruka, satisfying his flesh the way he satisfies mine. _

“Kakashi,” Iruka gasped, throwing his head back in ecstacy. “I’m going to cum, oh  _ God _ —”

And cum Iruka did, clenching wonderfully around Kakashi’s cock. Kakashi fucked him through it, reaching his own orgasm as Iruka cried out from oversensitivity, and they collapsed in a heap on the bed, panting in exertion but smiling like fools. 

“So,” Iruka grinned, grabbing a loving handful of Kakashi’s ass. “This Yamato character… how was he in bed? Do I measure up?”

Startled, Kakashi yanked backwards in shock. Iruka, cheeky bastard, was grinning from ear to ear. Kakashi honestly hadn’t thought that Iruka would pick up on the history between Tenzou and himself, but as usual, his sweet, innocent little teacher was  _ full  _ of surprises. So, apparently, was Kakashi, because he shocked even himself as he bristled with jealousy at the mention of his old friend.

“Mah, ‘Ruka, here we are, naked in our bed and you want to bring up another man?” Kakashi complained, nipping lightly at Iruka’s nose. “If I wasn’t such a fantastic lay, I’d be worried about your intentions.”

Iruka rolled his eyes. “If you think your dick is why I’ve decided to spend the rest of my life with you—” 

Kakashi raised his eyebrows, and Iruka turned red.

“Okay, fine, you  _ are _ a fantastic lay, but I want to know how Yamato knows that and why I didn’t know that he would know that until I felt it.”

Then it was Kakashi’s turn to change colors. His face heated, and he scratched the back of his head. 

“Well, we met while training to be spies. Part of the training was… er... the seductive arts, if you catch my meaning. My coven rescued him from Danzou, and we became fast friends. Our teamwork was so good that since we were going to have to pick partners anyways, why not choose each other and just never speak of it again?” 

Iruka, wicked thing that he was, had a good laugh at Kakashi’s expense. 

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Kakashi grumbled as Iruka tried to placate him with kisses. “Some of the worst sexual experiences of my  _ life  _ happened with Tenzou. It might be funny to  _ you _ , but how about  _ you  _ try pulling ticks off of your buttocks and see how funny it is then.”

“Honey, you don’t even have blood for a tick to suck,” Iruka giggled, and Kakashi pouted. 

“Didn’t stop the little fuckers from trying,” he groused, and eventually let himself be kissed into submission. 

“I love you,” Iruka told him, smiling radiantly, then repeated it in every language he knew, followed by little nipping kisses that were starting trouble for Kakashi in the downstairs department that, eventually, they solved.

Twice.

And so, after three rounds of absolutely mind-blowing sex, Iruka was tired, fucked into blissful sleepyness, and Kakashi’s thighs were screaming at him. Sweetly, they snuggled together under the covers, and Kakashi let Iruka’s heartbeat comfort and calm him, even as his own heart lay eerily silent as it had for years. 

“Kakashi?” Iruka asked, mouth moving ticklishly against Kakashi’s chest.

“Yeah?”

“Please be safe tomorrow.”

The request wasn’t a new one, but it still carried the weight of Iruka’s worry and concern. Kakshi couldn’t make any promises, couldn’t guarantee a safe return— he could be killed and injured the same as any mortal could— but he would try. He would do everything within his power to come back to Iruka, and failing that, Kakashi would wait for his love in the Beyond, and watch over him from the other side.

“I will, my ‘Ruka,” he replied, squeezing him tight.

“No unnecessary risks.”

“None.”

Iruka chuckled tiredly. “Dirty, rotten liar.”

Kakashi couldn’t help but smile. “I’m  _ your  _ dirty, rotten liar.”

  
“Damn skippy,” Iruka giggled, just before sleep overtook him. Kakashi wasn’t far behind, and was soon pulled under, lulled to sleep by the steady  _ tha-thump  _ of his lover’s heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> after that, nothing could possibly happen... right


	3. The Worst Kind Of Prisoner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was inspired by @perkypolarbear on tumblr, the queen honey bee of all editors :)

Iruka prided himself on being the worst kind of prisoner a body could have. The master prankster inside him was, in all ways, superlative to any other sort of captive, especially when paired with inexperienced abductors. These dickwads had the competence of a half-dead tadpole to share between them, so Iruka found it quite simple to make their lives hell.

"SON OF A BITCH!" cried one of the men (Sekimoto-something, if Iruka recalled correctly) as he discovered the paper bomb that Iruka had managed to stick to his back without anyone noticing. 

Was it a little juvenile? For a man that was well over the mark of fifty, yeah, probably, but was just too  _ easy _ . They always tied Iruka's hands  _ behind him _ , right where he could reach his back pockets— and they almost never thought to frisk him at first. Such amateurs.

"Daichi, get it off of me!" Sekimoto-something screeched, clawing at his back. "I can't reach! I can't reach!"

Daichi was a rather efficient fellow, and sliced Sekimoto-something's shirt clean off with his pocket knife, which sparked quite an argument between the two of them. Iruka had to bite his tongue to stave off a giggle as irritation flooded the air from those two half-wits. 

Iruka always  _ had _ loved being the cause of a fight. It was just so fun that he couldn't help himself. Of course, there were other benefits to Iruka making mischief— chief among them was drawing the attention of the captors away from Sai— but sometimes being a complete asshole for the hell of it was indescribably satisfying.

Iruka, to his credit, even thought so  _ after  _ the sound beating the incident caused him. 

"Damn nuisance," Daichi grumbled as he dragged Iruka to his feet after beating him bloody all over again. "You'd almost think the bastard  _ wanted  _ to get the shit beat out of him."

_ How astute,  _ Iruka thought to himself. 

Daichi really wasn't too far off the mark. Iruka wanted to leave some sort of trail, and blood was the best scent for a vampire to try to track— now that Iruka's nose was bleeding profusely, thanks to a particularly hard punch from Sekimoto-something, he was no doubt leaving the vampiric equivalent of a trail of breadcrumbs for Kakashi to follow.

Unfortunately, however, harmless little pranks like almost blowing a person up became exponentially more difficult after that incident, since Daichi became much more observant of Iruka. He watched every little move— if Iruka twitched a finger, Daichi saw it. Of course, Iruka took full advantage of that, twitching his fingers harshly from time to time just to watch the bastard flinch. It was a fun little game, though not as fun as he'd hoped for. If anything, it made Daichi more wary, and Iruka wisely held his cards to his chest for a while longer. 

As it happened, Iruka was absolutely right to do so— upon seeing the mansion of a house that he and Sai were being taken to, he could immediately deduce what sort of person this Danzou was, and from the curious lack of feeling Iruka was sensing, he would have guessed that most of the occupants of the house were, in fact, thralls. Iruka felt truly as though he were entering a den of lions as he crossed the threshold, but he did so with his head held high. 

He would need every shred of bravado left in his tired, adrenaline-crashed body to survive this. 

_ Step one _ , Iruka thought to himself with a confidence that he didn't truly feel as he was led through a gorgeous parlor and back out another door.  _ Be as annoying as possible. Emulate Jay Gatsby as much as you can — if Gatsby wouldn't do it, neither should you.  _

As he was led down concrete stairs out behind the house, Iruka tried not to let uncertainty get to him.

_ Step two… soak in all the emotions. They suck, but it's easier than trying to block it out.  _

Step two was a little more difficult to accomplish— the numbness that curled about in a thick fog, was confusing and bizzare— it was strange, but not unbearable if Iruka just focused on it. 

_ Step three: this is the final step. Show no fear.  _

As Iruka's knees were knocked from beneath him, forcing him to kneel before a rather plush chair (he refused to think of it as a throne), that step seemed impossible. A man with a scar on his chin and an eyepatch over one eye sat there, gazing down at Iruka, impassive. He had an aura of authority, of titanium will and iron resolve, but Iruka refused to be intimidated. In all the many times Iruka had been in situations like this, he'd found that there were very few things that were better than a smile to catch a captor off guard— and so, Iruka beamed. 

"Why hello, old sport," Iruka addressed the man, glancing about the room as though he'd been taken into an art museum rather than a grungy cellar. "To what do I owe the pleasure? I don't believe we're acquainted, but I'm terrible with faces." 

Daichi moved to strike Iruka, but the man before them raised his hand, and Daichi stepped aside. 

"Umino Iruka," he said, standing from his chair. "Your reputation precedes you. I am Shimura Danzou, and you will hear what I have to say."

Iruka's smile never wavered, but he had no response either. 

"You are the bonded thrall of Hatake Kakashi," Danzou began, circling Iruka like a vulture circling carrion. "Creating a bonded thrall is a feat in and of itself. It is extremely difficult to find the correct balance between predator and prey, between master and slave… but for the likes of you to create one with the son of the White Fang himself is also impressive. You must be truly special— his scent is so evident on you that I cannot imagine that your bond is anything less than uncommonly strong."

Again, Iruka had no response. It was, admittedly, a little frightening that this Danzou character knew Kakashi by scent alone, and had a strong enough nose to sniff out their bond… but Jay Gatsby wouldn't have batted an eye at it, so neither did Iruka.

"You will help me win Hatake Kakashi over to my cause."

Iruka couldn't help it then— he spluttered a laugh. 

"You honestly think that I'd do that?" Iruka grinned, glancing about as though waiting for someone to laugh at Danzou's joke. "Me? Umino Iruka, the  _ lover  _ of Hatake Kakashi, might I add— and if my reputation truly precedes me, you know that you're asking the impossible of me, old sport."

Danzou's expression darkened. "Very well. I shall be forced to use you as leverage."

Iruka laughed again, this time genuinely. It was almost cute, the way Danzou thought he had the advantage. Unfortunately, it was significantly less cute when Daichi's fist met Iruka's face. 

"There will be no leverage," Iruka spat, smiling as he met Dano's eyes unwaveringly, refusing to cower under his dark, fierce gaze. "You'll get your wish, Shimura Danzou. Kakashi  _ will  _ come, there is no doubt— but there will be no leverage. He will come, he will fight, and he will take no quarter. He'll kill every last one of you. Consider yourself forewarned."

"Such impudence. Daichi, take him away, and entertain him as you wish. Keep him busy while I deal with Sai." 

Sai swallowed nervously, shaking in every limb— Iruka could feel his dread and mortal terror slicing at him like a serrated blade to the belly. In solidarity, Iruka shot a glance his way filled with reassurance and encouragement, but a look could only do so much. The rest would have to come from within Sai himself. Besides, Iruka had his own problems to worry about.

These people may not kill him because he was Kakashi's property, but that didn't mean they wouldn't rough him up enough that he wished they would. 

  
  


***

  
  


Sai hated Danzou more than anything else in the world of the living. Given that, their confrontation had been less frightening than he'd thought it would be. 

"Sai, my boy, how you've matured. I smell that you have lost your humanity. More's the pity."

Sai said nothing. Speaking was not befitting of his station here— he'd learned that early on. 

"Fear not, however— although you have earned yourself a punishment, you have not outgrown your usefulness to me. I need someone to assist in the making of thralls, and, when necessary, their disposal. It will be an unpleasant job for someone as willful as you, to be sure, but I do not doubt your compliance, as I will kill Umino-San in the blink of an eye should you fail in your duties. Is that clear?"

Sai nodded. "Yes, Danzou-sama."

"Excellent."

And thus, Sai was shown to his cell, which was beside Iruka's… who unfortunately looked worse for wear.

From the beginning, Sai had been concerned for Iruka's welfare. Even after he'd proved himself capable of defending himself during their skirmish earlier, there seemed to be something soft in the sensei that made Sai doubt his constitution. In fact, Sai felt directly responsible for Iruka's well-being while he was within Danzou's clutches, especially since Sai himself was partly to blame for their capture. It weighed heavily on his conscience, right up until the moment Iruka got bored with trying to coerce small-talk out of his guard and started scream-singing at the top of his lungs as though he'd gone soft in the head. 

_ "WELL YOU CAN TELL BY THE WAY I USE MY WALK, I'M A WOMAN'S MAN, NO TIME TO TALK!" _

Sai wished that they'd been able to share a cell— if they had, he'd have done Iruka the mercy of  _ smothering him  _ with something until he passed out. What was he  _ thinking,  _ he was going to get himself killed! Or worse! Sai's mind sorted through the many, many ways that Iruka could be killed or worse right on the spot, and he felt as though his face were melting a little with every word Iruka belted.

_ "AH! AH! AH! AH! STAYIN' ALIVE, STAYIN' ALIVE!"  _

With every word, Iruka shook the metal bars that held him back, making an awful clanging sound. In the absence of a better solution, Sai thought briefly of smothering  _ himself  _ to make the awful racket stop, since there was no way to get the sensei to  _ shut the fuck up _ before someone killed him or worse, but then Sai remembered that he didn't have to breathe anyways, which was a little disheartening. 

All in all, everything was shit and there was nothing Sai could do about any of it. All he could do was sit there and wait it out until someone got sick of Iruka's screaming or something else happened. He prayed that Yamato and Kakashi would come quickly, and that things would go as Iruka had predicted— leaving any single soul alive would be a mistake, because they would never, ever give up Danzou's cause. 


	4. Infiltration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly? had no idea how to end this. happy reading! i love you all to pieces.

Kakashi waited until the next morning to execute his strategy. He knew that if he rushed to Danzou's lair in a fit of anger, he wouldn't be able to fully absorb and enjoy exacting his revenge. That simply wouldn't do— he wanted to remember every detail, to savor every moment. It was a matter of pride, of possession, of the perfection of the kill. No, Kakashi would not be rushed.

Still, when dawn came, he and Tenzou were ready for bloodshed. 

"We should be careful," Tenzou advised as they walked side-by-side, almost leisurely in the direction of the fading scent of Iruka's blood. "We don't know what's waiting for us."

Kakashi had no response. It was Danzou and his men that should have been careful, should have done their research before they went plundering like uncivilized barbarians into uncharted territory. If they had, they'd have known that Kakashi was truly a bastard when he put his mind to it— they'd have known that they would die within the next few hours, and would have been prepared. 

After all, Kakashi had been taught since he was a fledgling to treat others as he would like to be treated. His father had called it "The Golden Rule". Now, Kakashi supposed, was as good a time as any for these pricks to learn that lesson. 

Permanently. 

  
  


***

  
  


It was several hours before the massacre started— for it  _ would  _ be a massacre— but once it did start, Iruka found himself battling his satisfaction and reminding himself that these were sentient creatures that were being killed. No matter how awful they were, they had feelings just like everyone else, and Iruka could feel their terror, their anguish, and, at last, their resignation as their soul departed. It wouldn't be right for him to enjoy their deaths, despite all the harm they would have visited upon him (and upon the rest of the world, no doubt, if they were given a chance).

Still, it was hard not to love the rush of hope he felt with each emotional presence that faded from existence. Kakashi was here, he was fighting, and he was going to get Iruka out of this mess and take him home. 

But after that… once a vampire's primal instincts have been triggered, it's an awfully difficult thing for them to revert back to their usual mannerisms. Iruka had been with Kakashi through war and through peace, and he knew what his lover's reaction would be to having Iruka snatched from his grasp. Kakashi, when in the haze of bloodlust and predator instinct, often became savage— once he had Iruka, he would keep him, claim him, and mark his ownership in every sense of the word. Iruka could feel himself shaking in anticipation of it. 

_ Hurry, Kakashi,  _ he thought as another life was snuffed out.  _ I've been here too long.  _

True to form, Kakashi didn't make Iruka wait long. It was only a matter of minutes before the screaming started, and after a few moments more, Kakashi kicked the door to the basement in, reducing it to crumpled aluminum can status with his magnificent strength. Obito's eye was shining a vicious vermilion, working its magic as Kakashi gracefully leapt from one kill to the next— the guard next to Iruka's cell scrambled backwards, pressing himself against the wall, petrified. 

Iruka couldn't help but laugh. 

"Happy trails," he told the guard, who caught a fistful of lightning to the face as Kakashi snarled like a wild animal. 

All of a sudden, as Kakashi's eyes met Iruka's, nothing was quite so funny anymore. The air crackled with fading electricity, and exhibiting his uncanny strength once more, Kakashi ripped the door to Iruka's cell straight off of its hinges. 

_ "Iruka,"  _ Kakashi breathed, and that was almost enough to make Iruka drop his facade of strength entirely. Suddenly, he remembered how much his face hurt, how terrified he had been— now that Kakashi was here, he was safe, he could let go. 

Except he couldn't. 

Because even as Yamato appeared in Iruka's peripheral, unlocking Sai's cell with keys that he'd taken the time to find, a sinister presence entered the room, and Iruka just  _ knew  _ that Danzou was coming, he could feel it, but then—

**"Stay,"** Kakashi Ordered, and Iruka's body obeyed, frozen still as Kakashi turned to face the new threat. 

It was over before Iruka even knew it began. Really, he couldn't be blamed— he  _ was _ only human, after all. As far as he could gather, rooted to the spot as he was, Danzou had drawn his sword (why he would carry a sword when guns existed, Iruka would never know), but Kakashi was too fast to be needled with the damn thing and had instead caught Danzou's forearm, effectively blocking him while simultaneously drawing a knife and lodging it in Danzou's temple. 

Of course, Iruka couldn't be certain, but since a knife handle was sticking out of Danzou's head and his own sword was plunged into his chest, Iruka was pretty sure he didn't care about the particulars. 

"Iruka-sensei," Sai said, his immense relief drowning out almost every other emotion as he stepped toward Iruka— a terrible idea, but Iruka wasn't fast enough to stop him. "I'm so glad you're alright, you really—  _ oomph. _ "

That was as far as the poor fledgling made it before Kakashi slung him against the wall and  _ hissed _ , fangs out and ready for action. 

"Kakashi," Iruka warned, placing a hand on Kakashi's arm. "I'm here. I'm yours. Let's go."

Slowly, reluctantly, Kakashi released Sai with trembling hands, and Yamato backed away, evidently understanding Kakashi's primal urges as well as Iruka did. There was not a more powerful force in the room than Kakashi, and nearly every head that was attached to a live body was bowed in submission… except Iruka's.

"There we are," Iruka soothed, putting Kakashi's hand on his neck, letting his vampire feel Iruka's life force pulsing beneath his fingers so that Iruka could take in the sight of him. "You're feeling hungry,  _ possessive _ today, Kakashi. I understand that. But before you feed— before you  _ claim  _ me— I need you to take me home. Can you do that for me?"

Kakashi's response was a guttural growl, tightening his grip on Iruka's neck while looking somewhat torn. 

"You have to, love," Iruka urged, going deadly still. "We need to be home, not in front of our friends. Let's go."

Slowly, Kakashi released his grip, fighting his instincts all the way. Finally, Iruka was able to take him by the hand and lead him outside and into the first rays of the morning sun, walking calmly in the direction of their house. It was a thin, fragile facade of peace and serenity— inside, Iruka could feel Kakashi's rage, his possessiveness, his Hunger, but he walked bravely on, trying to convince himself that Kakashi could hold out until they reached the house. If they could just make it there, they would be out of the public eye, away from anyone who wouldn't understand, and they would be okay. 

And because Kakashi was so, so strong, so incredibly powerful, he made it through their (new?) front door before sinking his teeth into Iruka's neck and gulping from it at a truly alarming rate. Iruka didn't fight, didn't struggle— that would only make it worse in the end. He just stood there and let Kakashi take and take and  _ take,  _ glorifying in the release of Kakashi's tension and carnal desire. It was a beautiful thing, truly. Iruka was even a little sad when Kakashi pulled away, his mouth a gorey crimson and his mismatched eyes shining in the light. 

"Mine," Kakashi breathed, pressing his erection against Iruka while licking all the blood off of his lips and fangs. 

"Yours," Iruka agreed, threading his fingers through soft silver hair. "Take me to the bedroom, Kakashi, I don't think I can walk."

With his bloodlust sated, Kakashi did manage to carry Iruka to their bed, even if he seemed to be standing just a tad sideways. He was kind and gentle, now that his instincts weren't screaming at him, and Iruka could feel real love emanating from Kakashi and wrapping them both in its embrace. Even so, just beneath that love thrummed a live wire of arousal and the need to mate, to claim, to protect, and when Kakashi sat Iruka gently on the bed, the sensei knew just what to expect. 

" **Present** ," Kakashi demanded, somehow gentle and firm all at once, and Iruka obeyed without question, shifting to his hands and knees with his ass high in the air. 

Gently, Kakashi's hands ghosted over Iruka's flesh, and then he was pulling Iruka's ass cheeks apart to expose his hole— a feeling that never ceased to make Iruka shudder. Without warning, Kakashi's tongue licked broadly over the sphincter, and Iruka outright  _ moaned.  _

It seemed to go on forever, Kakashi's licking and teasing and fucking Iruka's ass with his tongue. Iruka was shaking all over by the time Kakashi moved away to fetch the lube, and as if that wasn't bad enough, Kakashi stroked Iruka's cock with one hand while he prepared him with the other, giving and taking and exhibiting every inch of power he had over Iruka to the point that Iruka found himself nearly in tears by the time Kakashi deemed him ready. 

The blunt head of Kakashi's cock pressed into Iruka, and as soon as Iruka had adjusted, he slammed into Iruka over and over, slow but with so much force it  _ hurt.  _

"Oh," Iruka gasped as Kakashi gripped his hips, his thrusts painful and yet oh so perfect. "Oh  _ fuck,  _ Kakashi."

"Mine," Kakashi insisted, picking up his pace. "Mine."

Iruka didn't even have a chance to agree before Kakashi's thrusts became too much, too much, way too much— and then, oh God— 

" **Come** ," Kakashi Commanded, and regardless of everything, Iruka came, completely untouched. 

Shortly after, he collapsed, entirely drained, and Kakashi spilled inside him, mercifully ending their truly fantastic copulation. 

"I love you," Iruka mumbled as Kakashi lay down, placing himself half on top of the sensei. "Thank you for saving me."

" **Rest** ," Kakashi replied, reaching between Iruka's legs to push the seed that was leaking from Iruka's ass back inside him— a habit that was absolutely filthy, but necessary in Kakashi's primal-brain.

"I will," Iruka yawned. "You owe me a steak later."

  
  


***

  
  


Kakashi did buy Iruka a steak later that day. 

It took a while for Kakashi to come back to himself— he always hated to lose himself to his instincts, but it couldn't be helped— and it took even longer than that to get both himself and Iruka cleaned up, but eventually everything was put to right. Of course, he had wasted a little time— Kakashi became angry all over again at the sight of Iruka's battered face, and then he felt instantly mortified when he saw the rapidly-healing wound on Iruka's neck and the bruises on his hips— but after a teeny tiny meltdown, he felt okay enough to leave the house and pick up Naruto from Gai's for a steak dinner, just the three of them. 

It was nice. Naruto didn’t ask too many questions, Iruka was back where he belonged, safe and sound, and Kakashi could not have been more grateful. Granted, it was only a matter of time before something happened to disturb their little bubble of peace— and, as an immortal, a little time wasn’t hardly anything— but until such a time came, Kakashi decided not to worry. He had Iruka and Naruto, and nothing else in the world mattered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall, I l o v e d writing this! it's been such a joy, thank ya'll for being so wonderful and sweet!!!


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